Pilot project “EU Support for Roma Employment” should act as basis in overcoming the challenges in social inclusion of Roma and improvement of their living conditions in Serbian capital, said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport announcing the launch of the project at City Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.
The project offers support to start ones own business and trainings for various lines of work, and the decision made by City authorities to take an active part in the project underlines the fact that the authorities are aware of Roma citizens being the most vulnerable group in terms of unemployment, Davenport said.
“By taking part in the implementation of the project, local authorities proved they are aware of its importance. The very establishment of City Centre for Social Entrepreneurship shows Belgrade’s commitment to improve status of the most vulnerable categories of the population,” Davenport said.
“Everybody has the right to work and protection from unemployment. We are, however, aware that there are over 700.000 unemployed people in Serbia out of which Roma, members of one of the most vulnerable categories, account for some 22.000.
This project seeks to provide training and support to start one’s own business to Roma living in Belgrade,” Davenport said and added that the EU would continue to support project such as this one.
According to him, the trainees who undergo trainings successfully may count on professional assistance during their first entrepreneur year.
Unemployed Roma living on the territory of the City of Belgrade are eligible to apply for the project. Furthermore, once they finish their training successfully, they may count on receiving assistance in the form of work equipment worth up to 3.400 euros, and expert advice in the area of legal matters, marketing and bookkeeping.
Support for Roma entrepreneurship through grants programme is implemented by City Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and UN Office for Project Services, with the financial support from the EU.
Mayor of Belgrade Sinisa Mali said the project was supposed to show how to solve the economic issue of Roma in the City.
